Strategy: Aggressively pursue the financial resources necessary to achieve national and international pre-eminence in learning, discovery and engagement.
Point People: Elizabeth Langland, Bennie Osburn and Celeste Rose
Narrative Summary of First Year Implementation Efforts:
In September 2003, University Relations proposed to finalize and begin implementing an Advancement Plan to frame and support UC Davis’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign with sufficient staffing and financing. The plan, among other things, seeks to:
- Assure basic staffing levels in the full range of key advancement programmatic areas including advancement services, alumni relations, government and community relations, communications and development.
- Provide, enhance and invest new resources strategically to establish dedicated, highly specialized support from the Office of Development that will benefit all campus units in their accelerated fund raising activities.
- Leverage both public and private funding to support campus goals and aspirations by establishing a strategic partnership between University Relations (Government and Community Relations and Development), the Office of Research, and the Office of Resource Management and Planning (ORMP).
- Sustain campaign-planning momentum to enable the campus to launch the “quiet phase” of the campaign in January 2005.
Advances and Ongoing Programs Consistent with Strategy:
- Consultations regarding overall advancement program
- Considered draft performance measures against which campus advancement progress can be measured to assure accountability.
- Discussed the proposed advancement program implementation plan. Considered its strengths, weaknesses and identified outstanding issues for discussion by the Advancement Council, CODVC and appropriate Academic Senate committees.
- Considered campaign planning steps and timetable.
- Continued campaign planning efforts
- Worked with ORMP to facilitate and initiate recruitment of advancement professionals campus-wide. The Provost has authorized funds sufficient to ensure that each Dean has at least one development officer and that other units have additional resources to substantially increase existing fundraising capacity ($1.8M). This new development staffing will support the comprehensive campaign.
- Continued efforts to ensure a foundation for campaign success through effective coordination among the schools and colleges, University Relations and Human Resources. Goal-setting performance measures and annual reviews of principal development officers will be accomplished in partnership between the Deans, Vice Chancellors and the Associate Vice Chancellor for Development. Classifications and salary review processes are being developed to facilitate equitable treatment in the recruitment process.
- Continued advancement workshops and best practices training sessions including campus-wide presentations from Shirley Anne Peppers, Director of West Coast Development, Harvard University; Michael Reese, Assistant Vice President, Strategic Communications, UCOP; Steven Sample, President, University of Southern California; and Don Gray, Vice President, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Campus-wide and unit sessions will continue with assistance from Grenzebach Glier & Associates.
- Supported the advisory committee charged to evaluate and reduce the proposals made by campus leadership in response to the Request for Fundraising Initiatives (RFI). The resulting recommendations developed for the Chancellor and Provost will be vetted with academic and administrative units and the Academic Senate. Initiated discussion of “Big Idea” concepts for gifts in excess of $50 million with the Advancement Council. Developed and initiated implementation of initial internal campaign communications plan.
- Government and Community Relations, the Office of Research and the UC Office of Federal Government Relations collaborated to identify, prioritize, and continue to advocate for over $10 million in UC Davis-specific research initiatives and high priority programs in the federal FY2005 budget.
- Conducted appropriate congressional visits in Washington, D.C. in association with the “Chocolate” symposium in February 2004 – a research collaboration between CAES and the Mars Corporation. Government and Community Relations and the Office of Research jointly participated in “NSF Day” in Washington in June 2004.
Short Statement of Plans for 2004-05:
- Complete searches for advancement professionals in the schools and colleges, and in University Relations in Fall 2004.
- Affirm institutional priorities and establish featured campaign objectives.
- Finalize and implement campus communications plan which is critical to campaign success; evaluate both print and electronic communications.
- Develop a prospectus and case statement based upon the final RFI recommendations to the Chancellor and Provost, and present Case Statement for feedback from internal audiences.
- Finalize “Big Idea” concepts for gifts in excess of $50 million in consultation with selected faculty through the offices of the deans.
- Conduct campaign Feasibility Study through interviews with approximately 125 selected potential donors, with final report due Winter 2005.
- Establish Community Liaison Committee
- Establish Speakers Bureau
Evaluation of Metrics:
- Prioritize campus learning, discovery and engagement objectives
The role of University Relations is to focus its resources effectively to achieve the academic priorities and objectives determined by campus leadership. In the context of the comprehensive campaign, UR will assist in raising funds to achieve the priorities of learning, discovery and engagement featured in the campaign.
- Accelerate level and rate of growth in sponsored funding and private giving
Routine reports currently provide baseline information regarding fundraising success in achieving goals for sponsored programs and gifts. Enhanced collaboration and support provided by Office of Development on behalf of increased fundraising by academic and administrative units will provide additional baseline information against which progress will be measured.
- Increase overall fund-raising trajectory through comprehensive campaign
Campus fundraising performance in past years will serve as the baseline against which comprehensive campaign achievements will be noted.
- Enhance number and extent of successful advocacy efforts, particularly with external stakeholders (e.g. legislators, alumni).
Advocacy efforts are inventoried and evaluated annually for their utility in achieving positive campus visibility. Such efforts include regular participation in programs and events sponsored by organizations throughout the region representing government and industry including the Sacramento Area Council of Governments and Sacramento Metro Chamber. Such events provide an opportunity to share information about the campus such as the recent Economic Impact Report. In some cases, such as the ongoing Get Active campaign, the number of participants and their communications with legislators is known. Government and Community Relations, the Office of Research and the UC Office of Federal Government Relations are collaborating to identify, prioritize, and advocate for campus-specific research initiatives and high priority programs in the federal FY2005 budget and the results of those efforts can be analyzed. Another measure of success is whether the campus and system achieve their legislative, budgetary and electoral (bond measures) goals.
- Increase levels of appropriate corporate sponsorship
The campus currently inventories corporate sponsorships, and that information is incorporated in Regents’ reports on corporate giving. Enhanced collaboration and support provided by Office of Development to increase fundraising by academic and administrative units will provide additional information against which to evaluate progress in attracting corporate sponsorships.